Last year, after speaking at one of the panels at Solarex, Turkey’s largest solar energy trade fair, it was time to leave. But then another classic happened. When the 5-6 questions asked during the panel aren’t enough, many people come up to you afterward. That day, around 10 people approached me, some of whom asked brief questions, thanked me after receiving their replies, and left. Others stayed and listened to the answers to their questions. After answering three questions in succession, another group of seven approached me and began asking questions on various topics. They all listened to the answers and the ensuing dialogue.
One person caught my eye in the crowd. He was waiting patiently, smiling. Some people didn’t stop at just one question, but rather made it a series, and some even engaged in conversation, which only increased the wait time. Then I turned to him and said, “Excuse me. Let me answer these questions and I’ll talk to you in a minute.” He smiled again and said, “No problem, Mr. Serhan. I’ll be waiting for you.” I answered those seven questions in about half an hour, and finally, I turned to the young man and asked, “How can I help you?” He told me his name was Barış and that he worked in the solar energy sector and was one of the founders of TYT, the company that built Turkey’s first floating power plant. Then he added, “But more importantly, I’m a YGA member. Have you ever heard of Young Guru Academy?”
I had first heard about Young Guru Academy from Ezgi, the former general manager of TİDER. I personally conducted Ezgi’s interviews, and her background information listed her as a director of Young Guru Academy. Because of Ezgi, I knew YGA as an NGO that cultivates well-rounded young people.
A meaningful role model, summed up in two words
When I said to Barış, “I know a little about it through Ezgi, but you can still tell me about it,” Using a term I’d never heard before, he said, “We’re raising ‘double-winged young people.’” He added, “I’ve been listening to you for a while now, and you’re emphasizing what we’ve always said with your explanations. You’re essentially a natural YGA member.” Then he elaborated: “We’re raising young people who are both well-equipped and conscientious. I need some time to explain this to you. If you have time, I’d like to tell you more about YGA.”
This double-winged description had really piqued my interest. I had some sectoral meetings after my speech, and I was planning to wrap them up and return to the office. After this brief conversation, I made an appointment with Barış for immediately after my last meeting. Meetings that would normally take half an hour in a fair environment, and then our meeting with Barış lasted an hour and a half. He explained YGA and his work in detail. Finally, he said, “I need to introduce you to Sinan Abi and the other YGA members.” The biggest reason YGA caught my attention was that they defined the role model I’d been telling my close circle about for years but couldn’t quite define, in two words: Double-winged.
Sinan Yaman speaking to young people
This is an excerpt from my speech at Özyeğin University
A delightful 4.5-hour meeting
I’ve always said that finding someone who is both smart and skilled, yet honest and well-intentioned is very difficult these days; that skilled people are often dishonest, and honest people aren’t always so skilled. I’ve always emphasized the need to cultivate young people who possess both these potentials.
Once I realized that Sinan Yaman’s vision was precisely what YGA was doing, I became a natural and willing supporter of YGA.
I stayed in touch with Barış afterward. A few months after our first meeting, they came to visit me in my office. This meeting, which would normally take two hours, lasted 4.5 hours with this group of young YGA graduates who are launching successful social initiatives. Attending this meeting were Sinan Yaman, the founder of YGA, Barış Arıcı, who first contacted me; Cemre Balaban, who moderated the YGA panel I would later join; and other valuable young YGA members who have accomplished great things: Ezgi Çevik, Cihan Özalevli, Ersin Güray, Emrecan Gıdık, and Aydın Haydar Işık.
I personally enjoyed this conversation. All these young people, YGA graduates who have either personally launched social enterprises or worked within YGA’s organization, had thoroughly prepared for their meetings with me. They all asked excellent questions, and I answered them to the best of my ability. I also had a long conversation with Sinan Yaman, the founder of YGA. He is incredibly sincere in everything he says. He reads, researches, and continues to do his best to contribute to young people. I remember thinking to myself several times, “This guy is right in my head.” After meeting Sinan Yaman and the YGA members, who felt isolated in some of their ideas, I was delighted to learn that I wasn’t alone in this world, and that a mechanism had been established to ensure the number of people like us continues to grow.
My passion for innovation and R&D surprised me
Afterward, they invited me to speak at their event at Özyeğin University on a Saturday morning. At this panel event, I addressed young YGA candidates. Cemre from YGA moderated the panel. I was delighted by the insightful questions and the positive reactions. The students were most surprised by how deeply involved I was in innovation, despite having studied finance, and how I focused on R&D beyond engineering. I told them, “Just because I studied in the wrong department doesn’t mean I’m straying from my passion. Education isn’t just about school; you can master many things by self-improvement after school. For example, after I turned 30, I learned Spanish at the Cervantes Institute. I did this on my own. I’m still a self-taught engineer now. I follow every technical detail closely. After school, make it a habit to constantly improve yourself and learn something new every day.” I added, “If you want to, you can do anything with disciplined study.”
Speaking to high school students who are YGA candidates at Özyeğin University…
I was especially happy to hear a thank-you message from Zülal, a visually impaired woman in the audience after this speech. The common trait of all YGA candidates and YGA members was that they were both intelligent and wanted to contribute to the world we live in. I was very pleased to see this environment. To help me explain YGA more clearly, let me share with you the promotional material used by YGA members on their official website (you can also find the following at https://www.yga.org.tr/tr/hakkimizda ):
YGA is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in Turkey.
It cultivates young people with double wings who enable us to look to the future with hope.
These young people develop both their conscience and their skills while creating projects beneficial to humanity.
With the innovations they develop, they generate radical solutions to social problems.
How Are YGA Members Raised?
Over 50,000 high school and university students apply to YGA each year. 50 candidates are selected through a five-stage interview.
In the YGA leadership program, they receive training from YGA Dream Partners, comprised of scientists, academics, and senior executives, including Prof. Aziz Sancar, Ali Koç, Faruk Eczacıbaşı, Prof. Mehmet Toner, Prof. Kristi Raube, and Prof. Doğan Cüceloğlu.
They also volunteer for YGA’s Science Mobilization project, launched to foster a love of science in children, and for its social innovations. Through strategic partnerships with universities such as Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Brown, Berkeley, London Business School, Munich Technical University, and Turin Polytechnic, students from these universities also participate in YGA projects.
And there’s more. These young, talented individuals are also launching social enterprises that create technologies designed to solve global problems. Let me give you some examples. Here are the technology-based startups founded by YGA graduates who received over 5,000 hours of training at YGA:
The world’s most advanced smart cane,
WeWALK
Twin Science Set, which fosters a love of science in children and reaches 150,000 children
Turkey’s first floating solar energy system,
Hydrosolar
A mobile app that ensures equal participation in social life for 180,000 people with disabilities
Hayal Ortağım
A travel app that lets you explore the world through the voices of the best guides
PİRİ
PoiLabs, which makes life easier for the visually impaired in indoor spaces and public transportation
PoiLabs
I will explain these social startups in more detail in my next article. I will also share my experiences and observations from the 2020 YGA Summit, which they hold every year last month, creating a festive atmosphere.
It might sound cliché, but I say it because I truly feel this way: My experiences with YGA and getting to know those young people give me more hope for the future, and frankly, it boosts my morale and motivation.
Long live the double-winged youth!
Tag: energy
